Well, Michigan's duck opener has come again....once again, I missed it because my outboard was in the shop for repairs. Same thing happened last year........
So, with the amount of money I'm putting into this thing for repairs (plus the fact that it is getting to the point where it's hard to find parts; the outboard was made in the late 1970's), I've decided to invest in a new motor. Problem is, I know very little about whats out there as far as newer 4 stroke outboards go.
Looking for recommendations, opinions, etc., but most of all would appreciate some fact based websites/literature/books.
Tired of getting stalled out in the marsh as nightfall approaches...........

I'm a yamaha guy, but I've been hearing good things about the new Suzuki's. But it alway's goes back to service. Find out who's the best service shop in your area and then go with what brand they sell.

What size range are you looking for? Jet or Prop? The new direct injected 2 strokes are good also.

1. Yamaha
2. Suzuki

I could help if we knew exactly what size and drive you are looking for.

Currently I have a 9.9 Evinrude. I was looking at the local Field and Stream at some Honda outboards, and the 5 hp is about the same size and weight as my 9.9 (maybe a little less). The boat is a 13 ft aluminum rowboat....nothing special. I think that a 5-7hp outboard (prop) would probably be suitable, as I only use it for duck hunting and fishing small inland lakes.

This.

Either of the above

If you’re looking in the 10 hp and down range, get a Tohatsu.

You could get a Suzuki, but Tohatsu makes them for Suzuki, and the only difference is the decal, and 5% higher price.

You could get a Mercury, but Tohatsu makes them for Mercury, and the only difference is the paint job, decal and 10% higher price.

Yamaha and Honda are arguably better motors, but are they worth 50% higher price ?

Tohatsu makes a lot of small portable outboards sold under different brand names, such as Mercury, Nissan, Evinrude and Tohatsu but they don't make Suzuki outboard motors. Check the engine specs (such as engine displacement) on the same horsepower engines and you'll see that they're totally different.

I have a 2015 9.9 4-stroke Yamaha tiller on my 16ft alumacraft that I use for river muskies. I love everything about it. 6$ fills it up and it runs forever. Super quiet, even at full throttle talking over it is no problem. Looked at the Honda but didn't like how the gear shift wasn't on the tiller handle. It's very convienent on the Yamaha.

Here is a website to check out.
http://onlineoutboards.com/

How many HP do you need? Is weight a concern?

I really like my Honda 9.9 4-stroke.It has quite a bit more power than my old 9.9 Johnson 2-stroke I had years ago.The Honda is so fuel efficient,I can fish all day and run about 15-20 miles on about a gallon of gas.

Love my 4 stroke 9.8 Tohatsu. Bought it used.
I believe it's the lightest weight of the 4 stroke 9.8 - 9.9 outboards.
Changed out original 7.5 pitch prop for a 9 pitch and picked up some speed for the 12 ft aluminum Meyers V bottom.
Years of reliable running. No repairs. I winterize it by unhooking the gas line, start it, pull the choke, burn the gas out of the carburetor.
Just installed elect start to make things easier for my 77 years however it's been a one or two pull starter for years.

Nissan and Tohatsu are identical motors with different labels in some or many cases, and made in Japan. Smallish Mercs are also made in Japan. Suzukis are made in Thailand.

My 2016 20 Merc was made by Tohatsu the first page in the book says.

As stated previously, I think a 5-7 hp would be sufficient; weight is a concern only because it is a smaller boat, but also because I hunt a managed waterfowl area with dikes that need to be pulled over some times.

When it's made in Japan, you can expect considerable sharing at times within industries.

For example, Fuji Heavy Industries which has made many of the engines used by Polaris over the years utilizes pistons with the trademark "Robin" on them. Robin also supplies engine parts to Suzuki Automotive. Of course a branch of Suzuki has also built engines for Arctic Cat. So in a sense, though Polaris and Arctic Cat parted ways many years ago, they are still connected somehow.

Some Honda outboards used a lower unit built by Mercury. Some of the old Mariners were built by Mercury - while other were built by Yamaha, and even had the Yamaha tuning forks on the engine block castings.

I'd look for a Nissan on clearance. Local dealer told me no more 6hp, 8hp, 9.9hp branded Nissan's after this year.

For weight go 2 stroke. There are plenty of good used motors out there. Again, I like the Tohatsu for price, weight, and durability.

Best
Jim

I like the 2-strokes, too. But there are more and more waterways that will not allow them.